I can't lose you again
by amyhslaw34
Summary: The team learn that David Robert Jones needs Oliva to activate the machine in order to collapse both universes; Peter is afraid he could lose Olivia again.
1. I can't lose you again

Following on from 4X18 the Consultant

Peter's face had drained of colour, he opened his mouth to ask a million questions, but the only word he could manage was "How?"

Olivia leant forward in deep concentration; she too was trying to make sense of what Walter was suggesting.

"Walter. Why would David Robert Jones want to collapse _both_ universes? It makes no sense."

"I know dear, I haven't been able to work out his motive either." Walter turned the device over in his hand.

"But if he's attempted it once," Peter whispered, his voice low and hollow, "then he'll try again, won't he?" Neither Olivia nor Walter wanted to think about this, but it wasn't Peter's fault. He was just stating the obvious. Of course Jones would make a second attempt.

"You'd have thought," Walter said, hesitating a little, "This device, it has to be plugged in when the machine is active…but the only way to activate it would be-"

"-to use Olivia" Walter was cut off by Peter's empty words.

"Peter." Olivia could see that he was upset, but before she could stop him Peter had stormed straight out of the lab and down the hallway.

"Olivia, listen to me. You can't worry about Peter," but her gaze was still fixed on the swinging doors, "Olivia, if David Robert Jones didn't know that he needed you, he will now. You're not safe."

Olivia stared at her feet, her lips tightened and she swallowed hard, steadying her voice. "If he wants me…he can come and get me. I'm not scared Walter." She looked up at Walter, despite her brave words; Walter recognised the fear swimming through her eyes.

"Go home Olivia." Walter smiled at her weakly, he felt sympathy for the girl who had helped him through so much, who had made his son happy, which made him happy. Olivia didn't refuse, she turned on her heal and headed down the corridor. Outside, the rain hammered down from the dirty grey skies. Olivia sped down the steps and out into the rain, she had just reached her car when head started to spin. By the time she had reached her building, Olivia could hardly stand. She had a searing pain in the back of her head and her chest felt tight. Staggering up the stairs, she just about managed to get into her apartment before collapsing in a heap on the sofa. Her clothes were soaking wet and her whole body was shaking. Olivia closed her eyes and shook her head rid of all unpleasant thoughts. In her medicine cabinet, Olivia found a small box of aspirin. She took one and left the remaining contents of the box near the sink. The bathroom window had been left wide open and a chilling wind was blowing in through it. She walked steadily over to the window, inhailing a deep breath of fresh air, before her heart stopped and her right hand was clenched around her gun. Her eyes darted through the streets. She'd seen him; he was there, seconds ago; the unmistakable scarred face and snake-like eyes, watching her. Before she could help herself, Olivia was back in the rain, barefoot, her gun raised, and finger dancing around the trigger. She could feel the rough terrain of the side-walk cutting into her feet; shards of broken class piercing her skin but her mind was focused on the man that was out to get her. Olivia searched the entire street, her gun ready to fire, but Jones had gone.

Peter had come over to apologise. To say he was sorry for acting to selfish back at the lab. His car pulled up just ahead of where Olivia was stood, he got out his car, catching sight of her out of the corner of his eye. Peter sprinted towards her, knocking the gun from her grasp; his body pressing into hers as he wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Olivia. I'm so sorry." His breath was hot and sweet against her soaked skin. Olivia let her muscles relax against Peter, with him, she felt safe. He led her back inside, carrying her up the stairs that her fragile feet couldn't take. Once Peter washed the blood and dirt from her feet, he changed Olivia out of her damp clothes, into one of his own oversized t-shirts that she liked to wear in bed. She got to her feet, sore but stable. Peter wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in closer.

"I can't lose you again." His words were strict, almost like am demand.

"You won't," She pressed her lips to his, "I promise."

Olivia staggered back, her eyes hazy, vision blurred.

"Olivia?" Peter asked a slight tone of anxiety to his voice.

"I'm fine Peter. It's just a migraine," Peter lay her down on the sofa his face still concerned; "there's aspirin in the bathroom."

Peter looked round the bathroom, finding the small box of blue pills on the window ledge. His heart dropped and when he spoke his voice cracked.

"Olivia, how many of these did you take?"

"Just one." Her voice was faint and shaky. When Peter emerged from the bathroom his face was very pale.

"Olivia, this isn't aspirin…I-I don't know what it is…" Peter rushed over to the sofa, the back of his hand resting on her forehead, "We need to get you to a hospital; right now." He had only just wrapped his jacket round her shoulders when she stumbled to the ground, her breathing fast and heavy.


	2. If in doubt, blame Massive Dynamic

Walter sat in his usual chair, a red vine in one hand and a device with the capability to collapse two universes in the other. He daydreamed about what he would have for breakfast, _**pancakes, with syrup and honey…and a milkshake-a strawberry one…**_he had just got up to check the time when Peter rushed through the doors carrying Olivia who appeared to be asleep.

"Walter!" Peter hurried down the steps and lay Olivia down on the floor, "She took something, I don't know what it is but-" Peter pulled the box of small blue pills and handed them to Walter.

"-I couldn't risk taking her to the hospital, not with Jones after her."

Walter rummaged through one of his draws; he pulled out a lengthy syringe that was filled with a clear-blue liquid. He jabbed the needle into Olivia's right arm, releasing the solution. Olivia's breathing stabilised but she remained unconscious on the ground. Walter examined one of the pills. He sniffed it, rolled it between his fingers and even let it sit on his tongue for a few moments before spiting it in the sink and washing his mouth out with boiling salt water. Peter stood silently until he thought Walther was done.

"So?" Peter asked Walter impatiently, "do you know what it is?"

"I have an idea...but I'm not too sure." Walter answered, still glaring at the capsule, his eyebrows pressed together in concentration. Peter's attention turned to Olivia.

"How long until she wakes up?"

"Again, I can't say…but she's stable," Walter yawned, "Wait a minute, Peter I know where I've seen them before, the pills."

"You recognise them?" Peter straightened up.

"Yes…" Walter paused, "I need to speak to Nina Sharp-" Peter barley let Walter finish speaking before he was headed out of the lab and down the hallway.

"I'm going to Massive Dynamic." Peter snarled, as Walter flinched at the sound of the door slamming behind him.

Walter returned to his usual chair, he watched the clock, struggling to stay conscious. _**Tick -Tock, Tick Tock, Tick-Tock. **_He hadn't been able to sleep all night, trying to determine Jones' plan to collapse both universes. Drowsiness took over and Walter slipped into his peculiar state of dreaming.

Olivia woke with a pounding headache, distorted vision and a piercing ringing in her ears. Gingerly, she got to her feet, she heard Walter before she saw him. Sloped in his chair, head tilted back, snoring noisily and singing a childish nursery rhyme about frogs. Olivia wandered round the room, trying to make sense of what had happened. The last thing she remembered, she was in her apartment with Peter and she had collapsed. _**Peter.**_ He wasn't there, in the lab. Surely no harm had come to him or Walter wouldn't be fast asleep. Olivia cleared her head of any frightening ideas about Peter's whereabouts. She splashed her face with cold water from the sink and tied her hair back. Olivia heard the door swing open behind her.

"I was starting to get worried," She smiled to herself, assuming that it was Peter. No answer.

"Peter?" Olivia turned to face the door, her stomach dropped. Her hand went straight to her belt where her gun should have been, ready to fire; but it wasn't there. Olivia found herself glued to the spot, unable to move, unable to speak.

"Agent Dunham," the words were sly and there was a tone of sarcasm to his voice, "what a pleasant surprise."


	3. An unwelcome visitor

Olivia's eyes locked on the nightmarish figure stood in the doorway. Her jaw tightened as she was overcome with a fear so strong it make her sick to the stomach. Why would Peter leave her there? Unconscious. Unarmed. It made no sense. If she could just wake Walter, he would know where Peter was. _**Walter. **_Olivia smiled. She had not abandoned her at all; Peter had left her with the one man who cared about her as much as he did. The only other person aside from Jones who had the knowledge and capability to collapse two universes. In many ways, Olivia was as safe as she could be with Walter there. There was a chilling moment of stillness before either one of them spoke.

"Relax Olive," Jones croaked. Olivia flinched; she hated the way he used her childhood name, "You're not the reason I'm here."

"Then why are you here?" Olivia muttered under her breath, so that it was barely audible.

Jones took a subtle step forward, but Olivia had seized her gun that lay on the counter before he could move any closer.

"I believe you have something of mine." Jones raised one eyebrow; he didn't seem at all discomforted by the fact that there was a gun aimed at his forehead.

Olivia changed her tone of voice completely, now it was her that had something Jones' wanted.

"I'm not quite sure what you're talking about," Olivia paused, she then asked, a little too innocently, "but Walter might, do you mind if I wake him?"

Jones shook his head, "No, not at all." He sniggered.

Cautiously, Olivia moved over to Walter, watching Jones at all times out of the corner of her eye. She shook his shoulder lightly. Walter stirred ever so slightly; he flung his right arm out to the side, knocking over a jar of red vines. The sound of the glass shattering on the ground startled him. Hazily, he opened one eye, peering around the room.

"Olivia, we have a visitor." He mumbled dreamily, rubbing his eyes in attempt to see more clearly. As soon as Walter realised it was Jones stood in his lab he snapped wide-awake. He thrust the device into a draw and said as steady as he could,

"I'll destroy it. If you touch Olivia, I will destroy the device," Walter paused for a moment, hoping to get some reaction, "and I know, technology like this cannot be easy to construct."

Jones' facial expression transformed, he didn't at all like being threatened. Olivia lifted her gun; she could see the hostile look on his face. His tone was no longer sly and sarcastic, it was cold and empty.

"If you destroy the device, I will have no reason to keep her alive." Jones held out his arm and for the first time Olivia noticed the yellowish bandages bound tightly around his wrists and hands. He gradually unravelled a thin piece of cloth. The skin underneath was pink and tender but even from across the room Olivia could see enraged burns forming. Her finger tightened around the trigger, now Jones was threatening to kill her. For those next few moments Olivia was unaware of her actions. It could be argued that it was not the rational thing to do, but the vindictive smile that crossed the lips of David Robert Jones was so foul that she had fired the weapon five times before realising. Olivia, straightened up, expecting to see the man she loathed, lifeless and swimming in a pool of his own filthy blood. Instead, she caught a glimpse of gold as four of the bullets hit the ground. She threw her gun at the wall in fury; Jones had vanished.


	4. I need to talk to Nina Sharp

Peter's car pulled up just outside Massive Dynamic. A wispy drizzle had broken from the clouds making it hard for him to see where he was going. It was early morning, around 8:00am but the building was still crawling with employees. Peter paced through the main reception, his shoes leaving muddy footprints on the pristine white floor. In the lift there were several other people, Peter hit the button that read 'floor 12' as it shot up upwards. No one smiled or said 'good morning' in the lift. As one man got in, he nodded at Peter, but didn't speak a word to him. By the time the lift reached the twelfth floor, Peter was the only person left in it, aside from a young, pasty looking girl who was leant against one of the walls looking rather unwell. He thought that maybe he should stop to see if she was okay, but there were so many other things running through his head that the girl quickly slipped his thoughts.

As Peter, walked down the sterile white corridor, he thought about his decision to leave Olivia and Walter alone, back at the lab. What if Jones went looking for her? Surely the hospital would be the first place he would look, but he would quickly realise she wasn't there, and then it would only be a matter of time before…_**No. You're over thinking this. **_Peter thought to himself, trying to clear any unpleasant thoughts from his head; but he couldn't help thinking about how much danger he had left them in, the two people who meant the world to him. _**Olivia is safe with Walter, you have to trust him. Trust him. **_Peter had just about finished convincing himself that Olivia was in safe hands, when he reached a uniformed man stood behind a screen. Peter came to a sudden standstill.

"I need to talk to Nina Sharp." He demanded, flashing his badge at the guard.

The man looked at him, unimpressed, "Miss Sharp is busy at the moment, she-"

Peter cut him off, "I don't care what she's doing; I need to speak to her right away. Tell her it's about agent Dunham."

The guard frowned at him, he did not like the way he was being spoke to. Nonetheless, he led Peter further down the corridor to a white door that you could miss completely if you didn't know it was there.

"Wait here." The guard ordered. He knocked on the door and slowly opened it.

"Miss Sharp," the guard muttered, "Peter Bishop is here to see you, he said it's urgent…something to do with agent Dunham."

"Send him in." Peter heard Nina Sharps distinct voice ring from inside the office. The guard made way for Peter to enter and the swung the door shut behind him.

"Nina," Peter began, taking a seat on the other side of her desk, "I need to talk to you about Olivia." Nina picked up the element concern in Peter's voice. Her expression quickly changed to one of worry and anxiety.

"Is something wrong Peter?" Nina asked lowering her voice as an indication that they were not alone. Peter did not seem bothered by this, but he too lowered his voice.

"Walter worked out what the device does. He believes that Jones needs Olivia to activate the machine."

Nina paused for a moment, trying to make sense of what Peter was saying.

"...Well? What does it do that would mean Jones needs Olivia?"

Peter leant forwards in his chair, trying to plan out how he would explain to Nina that Jones planned on collapsing both worlds.

"David Robert Jones needs her to activate the machine, so that he can destroy our two universes."

Nina's face drained of colour, the expression on her face was almost as horrified as Peter's was when Walter had first explained his theory.

"I don't understand," Nina stuttered, "Why would want to-and how could Olivia-but what would happen if-?" She tried to ask several questions at once, staring Peter straight in the eye.

"Nina, that's not the reason I'm here," Peter pulled the drugs from his pocket and lay them on the desk in front of her, "Someone drugged Olivia. They must have switched a box of Aspirin with these pills. Walter said he had seen them before, here at Massive Dynamic."

Nina's expression remained vacant; she stared at the box for a short while before looking back to Peter.

"What are you suggesting?" her voice had turned cold and she seemed offended by his accusations.

"I'm not suggesting anything," Peter shot Nina a stern look, "that's beside the point. Have you seen them before?"

"I-erm…" She paused.

"Answer the question." Peter ordered.

"Yes. They are rather familiar," Nina admitted, "they were produced as a result of a project done a few years back."

"What project?" Peter asked, starting to lose his patience.

Nina shook her head,

"A few years after the Cortexifan trials, William Bell had a small group of employees, here at Massive Dynamic, do some further research into the development of the Cortexifan subjects. He disagreed with Walter's choice to end the trails; William always knew that it would be a huge breakthrough."

Nina's voice shifted to a whisper.

"He wanted the team of scientists to come up with a way to _**enhance **_the Cortexifan subjects' abilities and find ways to activate any other 'powers' that had yet to be discovered."

Peter swallowed hard; he rested his elbows on the table, dropping his face into his hands.

"That's not all." Nina mumbled; Peter looked up at her, "The employees that worked on these 'improved' Cortexifan trials…" She sighed, "They were overseen by David Robert Jones himself."


	5. Five bullets and an unusual power cut

Olivia sat crouched on the step of Walter's lab, her head in her hands. Half an hour passed, then an hour, by the time Peter returned, Walter had rummaged through every device he owned, scanned and analyzed the area where Jones was stood a thousand times. Even when Peter burst through the doors, Olivia didn't flinch, she didn't move at all.

"Olivia?" Peter whispered as he sat down next to her, "Are you okay?"

Olivia looked up at him; she swallowed hard on the lump in her throat. Peter wrapped his arm round her and she leant her head on his shoulder.

"I let him get away Peter; I should have shot him as soon as he-"

"What?" Peter sat up straight, "Jones was here? Olivia why didn't you call me, you have no idea how dangerous-"

Olivia nodded; she looked over to the place where she had thrown her gun; where it now lay on the floor. She explained how Jones had turned up, looking for the device, how she shot him again and again. Peter stood up; he walked over to where Walter was crouched examining the bullets.

"Walter, can you show me the security camera footage from the lab?"

"Erm...yes," Walter wandered over to his computer, he too was shaken up by Jones' visit, "Peter, did you talk to Nina?"

Peter nodded, "I'll explain later," he muttered under his breath. Peter watched the video tape twice through before breaking the silence.

"Olivia, you've got to see this," He murmured. Olivia walked over to where Peter was stood, "Watch."

Olivia's eyes glued to the screen as she relived that horrible moment all over again. The sound of the bullets made her flinch but she couldn't work out what Peter was trying to show her.

"You must have shot him Olivia," Peter saw the look of confusion on her face and pointed to the area where Jones was stood on the screen, "You fired five bullets…only four fell to the ground."

Olivia gritted her teeth, Peter was right. She had shot Jones and it must have hit him, or it would be lying on the ground with the others. A new feeling overcome her, she was scared, but not in the way she had been before. If Olivia really had injured Jones, even killed him…what happened next? Just as Olivia turned to Peter, fear swimming through her eyes; the lights in the lab flickered, and then one by one they sparked to darkness.

"Peter…" Olivia croaked, "What just happened?"

Peter sighed, was now the right time to tell Olivia that she had more Cortexifan in her bloodstream than ever before? That she was the most likely reason for the power outage; and that the trials were not only lead by Jones but were cancelled because the enhanced abilities that the drug provided were too dangerous?

Peter reached for Olivia's hand in the darkness but as his fingers found hers, an electric shock-like pulse shot through his arm and he was thrown backwards into the wall.


	6. Dangerous possobilities

"Peter!" Olivia's broken scream cut into the darkness as the stench of burning choked the room. She shook her hand, smashing it into the desk to try and rid her nerves of the horrible stinging sensation. An hour-long minute passed before a dim glow of orangey light started to flicker. Gradually, the remaining light bulbs started to buzz back into power. As soon as the shadowy outlines of figures had started to appear, Olivia had rushed in the general direction of Peter, to find him slumped up against the wall. To Olivia's relief his breathing was heavily visible but his skin was cold and his head bloody. Olivia's glance moved to Walter who was stood in the center of the room, vomiting into a bucket.

'_That's just great' _Olivia thought, '_So I've got an unconscious Peter and nauseous Walter to deal with.'_

Olivia had undoubtedly caused the incident, and though he had once nearly shot her in the arm, she couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty for hurting Peter. Still cautious about making contact with him, she brushed the dark matted hair from his face to reveal a deep gash across his forehead. The wound was thinly lined with an outline of blackened skin. His right hand and wrist was violently burnt; a baby pink colour. Peter's soft, smoky cough broke Olivia's chain of thoughts. He frowned for a moment, then tried to get to his feet but found it very difficult and ended up slouched against the wall again. Walter stumbled over, his face still pasty green.

"Walter, what just happened?" Olivia was still closely examining the gash on Peter's forehead.

"I'm afraid I do not know," Walter replied, holding out the bucket for Peter, who refused.

"I think I know what happened," Peter groaned, "I found out what Olivia took, the drugs, they were to enhance her abilities; increase the amount of cortexifan in her blood-"

Walter looked at Peter for a moment then shook his head and began to fidget with a loose thread on his jacket.

"Walter?" Olivia murmured, "Is that right? Is that why I shocked Peter?"

"It would make sense I guess…" Walter looked up, "but if it was true, that would mean that Olivia could develop multiple abilities that we haven't come across yet."

"So? What do we do, how can we get it out of her system?" Peter croaked.

"That's the problem," Walter sighed, "We can't, we have to wait for it to pass out of her system."

"How long will it take?" Peter asked sternly.

"I don't know," Walter shrugged, "It could take days, weeks, months…but until then, we don't know how dangerous these abilities are, and what's worse, we don't know how to control them."


End file.
